1 CHAPTER FIVE
Two hours later they were well on the way to Mars. Queen Selenity had quickly assented to Amy's proposal on the condition that both men be equipped with a translator. The translator turned out to be a tiny brownish lump that could be placed directly behind their ears. According to Amy, it automatically translated speech waves from Lunar Common to his own language. "You won't be able to understand any of the planetary languages, of course, but this should make the transition easier for you," she'd explained as she clipped the device to his ear. The difference was amazing. He no longer felt like an interloper into a magical world. Now that he could understand the language without a living translator, he felt like he could start to stand on his own two feet again.
As they first boarded the ship, Malachite and Zoicite could only stare out the window at the passage of stars. After a while, though, this became extremely boring. For lack of anything better to do, he followed Amy to the medical bay of the ship. Mina's bed had been relocated to the center of the room, and the ever-present medics were constantly monitoring her. Zoicite and Amy, too, stayed near her. Malachite couldn't tell if Zoicite hung around because of his interest in medical science or because of his interest in the blue-haired princess.
Malachite, of course, had finally accepted the otherworldly nature of his companions. Amy had kindly provided him with a slender book on the history of the Silver Alliance. He was amazed that so many different types of people had been able to overcome their prejudices long enough to become allies. Maybe there's hope for earth after all, he thought. And, speaking of prejudices . . . He glanced over at Mina. For the last two hours, a steady stream of people, mostly crew members, had filtered into the hospital room. One by one, they expressed their awe at finally meeting the blonde warrior in person, or so to speak. Each of them had stories, which they were all too eager to share with Malachite, of a time when this tiny girl had saved them or their friends and family from various threats. She was their heroine. Maybe there's more to her than I thought, he mused.
Suddenly, the ship lurched. Amy glanced out the window. "Looks like we're here, gentlemen." Malachite and Zoicite glanced at each other. In spite of their outward calm, they were both nervous.
As it turned out, Mars wasn't very frightening at all. It just looked like a desert. A big, red, endless desert that could reach up to a thousand degrees in the shade. Thankfully, they wore special suits that allowed them to move more or less freely through the landscape. Amy, too, struggled against the oppressive heat. Malachite was surprised to see that she seemed to be having a harder time than even they were. "My planet is made almost entirely of ice," she explained. "I'm used to living in an area much colder than your north pole. I don't come to Mars unless I absolutely have to. Oddly enough, though, my brother, Hermes, loves it here. Go figure."
They boarded a small overland ship, which took them into the very heart of the Martian desert. They landed in front of a small mud adobe hut from which a sinister looking man emerged. He glared at them with sheer disgust in his eyes. "I suppose you're the ones the king told me about. Got a sick girl, do ya? Well, don't just stand there. Bring her in already. I'm a busy man, you know, and I can't spend all day with some twit of a girl who hadn't the sense to dodge a youma blast." He led the way into his hut, gesturing for the medics to bring Mina's bed in with them. Once they set the bed down, though, he kicked them out. "Go away," he said in his gravelly voice. "Ya couldn't help her before. What makes you think you can help me? Just go away." He slammed the door behind them, and then sat in a chair close to Mina's bed. "Well, what are you waiting for? Open that silly contraption and let me get a look at her."
Amy hesitated, and then said, "Are you sure that's wise, sir? It's pretty hot here, and I don't know if she can handle it." The man glared at her again. "Girl's from Venus, isn't she? It may rain a lot on her world, but pure energy courses through her veins. She can handle a little heat. Now, open the thing." Amy sighed, and then pushed a button on Mina's bed. The lid of her coffin hissed and slid away. The hermit slid one dirty hand onto Mina's head. Malachite surprised himself with the sudden surge of possessiveness that he felt. He didn't like the man's dirty hand pressed into Mina's hair, even if he was trying to help her.
The man's hand stroked Mina's hair almost lovingly while his eyes remained closed. "Goodness. This one has power. I've rarely felt such power, but I can't find anything wrong with her mind. I can sense intense loyalty, compassion, and love." He opened his eyes and stared intently at Malachite for a moment before continuing. "There's grief, too. Too much grief. It's buried deep inside, locked behind a wall of emotions. She won't let it go for anything, and its slowly killing her from the inside out. I can't find its cause, though. It's shrouded too deeply in secrets." He opened his eyes again and removed his hands. "This girl has felt pain. She's felt despair as deep as a bottomless pit, so deep that it's likely to swallow her up. Whatever is keeping her from waking up, it's not an injury. My guess is that someone hurt her recently, hurt her so deeply that she doesn't want to wake up. I'll do what I can, but I won't guarantee anything. She might not ever wake up."
Malachite's breath froze in his lungs. A part of him had simply assumed that people who could travel the stars could heal a few injuries. It had never occurred to him that she might die. Hatred and love warred equally in his heart. He watched, dry mouthed, as the old hermit resumed his place with his hand over Mina's mind.
After what seemed like an eternity, and was at least several hours, the old man finally opened his eyes again. He pulled his hand back once more, and then waited patiently for Mina to open her eyes.
She did so only a second later. She blinked in confusion for a moment, and then saw the old man's face above her own. She smiled sadly at him, and he seemed to shake his head in sympathy. He helped her sit, and she surprised them all by throwing her arms around him. She pulled back only long enough to kiss him on the cheek, then stood to go. She nodded at the three other people in the room, who were stunned at her quick recovery. Amy came forward and hugged her tentatively. "Are you sure you're well enough to walk, Meens? What happened back there?"
Mina glanced back at the old man. After a moment, she spoke in a voice so soft that Malachite could barely hear her answer. "I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was to face my demons, that's all." She glanced back at the old man. "I can face them properly now," she said. "Thank you." Then she turned and left the hut without speaking another word.
Amy quickly ran after her. "Mina, wait! Where are you going?" Mina didn't turn to look at her friend. "I'm going to Venus. I have to have a few words with my mother," she called back.
Amy halted in shock. "Her mother?" Zoicite and Malachite caught up to her. "What's so bad about her talking to her mother?" Zoicite asked curiously.
"Nothing really. Except that her mother's been dead for the last fifteen years."
Two hours later they were well on the way to Mars. Queen Selenity had quickly assented to Amy's proposal on the condition that both men be equipped with a translator. The translator turned out to be a tiny brownish lump that could be placed directly behind their ears. According to Amy, it automatically translated speech waves from Lunar Common to his own language. "You won't be able to understand any of the planetary languages, of course, but this should make the transition easier for you," she'd explained as she clipped the device to his ear. The difference was amazing. He no longer felt like an interloper into a magical world. Now that he could understand the language without a living translator, he felt like he could start to stand on his own two feet again.
As they first boarded the ship, Malachite and Zoicite could only stare out the window at the passage of stars. After a while, though, this became extremely boring. For lack of anything better to do, he followed Amy to the medical bay of the ship. Mina's bed had been relocated to the center of the room, and the ever-present medics were constantly monitoring her. Zoicite and Amy, too, stayed near her. Malachite couldn't tell if Zoicite hung around because of his interest in medical science or because of his interest in the blue-haired princess.
Malachite, of course, had finally accepted the otherworldly nature of his companions. Amy had kindly provided him with a slender book on the history of the Silver Alliance. He was amazed that so many different types of people had been able to overcome their prejudices long enough to become allies. Maybe there's hope for earth after all, he thought. And, speaking of prejudices . . . He glanced over at Mina. For the last two hours, a steady stream of people, mostly crew members, had filtered into the hospital room. One by one, they expressed their awe at finally meeting the blonde warrior in person, or so to speak. Each of them had stories, which they were all too eager to share with Malachite, of a time when this tiny girl had saved them or their friends and family from various threats. She was their heroine. Maybe there's more to her than I thought, he mused.
Suddenly, the ship lurched. Amy glanced out the window. "Looks like we're here, gentlemen." Malachite and Zoicite glanced at each other. In spite of their outward calm, they were both nervous.
As it turned out, Mars wasn't very frightening at all. It just looked like a desert. A big, red, endless desert that could reach up to a thousand degrees in the shade. Thankfully, they wore special suits that allowed them to move more or less freely through the landscape. Amy, too, struggled against the oppressive heat. Malachite was surprised to see that she seemed to be having a harder time than even they were. "My planet is made almost entirely of ice," she explained. "I'm used to living in an area much colder than your north pole. I don't come to Mars unless I absolutely have to. Oddly enough, though, my brother, Hermes, loves it here. Go figure."
They boarded a small overland ship, which took them into the very heart of the Martian desert. They landed in front of a small mud adobe hut from which a sinister looking man emerged. He glared at them with sheer disgust in his eyes. "I suppose you're the ones the king told me about. Got a sick girl, do ya? Well, don't just stand there. Bring her in already. I'm a busy man, you know, and I can't spend all day with some twit of a girl who hadn't the sense to dodge a youma blast." He led the way into his hut, gesturing for the medics to bring Mina's bed in with them. Once they set the bed down, though, he kicked them out. "Go away," he said in his gravelly voice. "Ya couldn't help her before. What makes you think you can help me? Just go away." He slammed the door behind them, and then sat in a chair close to Mina's bed. "Well, what are you waiting for? Open that silly contraption and let me get a look at her."
Amy hesitated, and then said, "Are you sure that's wise, sir? It's pretty hot here, and I don't know if she can handle it." The man glared at her again. "Girl's from Venus, isn't she? It may rain a lot on her world, but pure energy courses through her veins. She can handle a little heat. Now, open the thing." Amy sighed, and then pushed a button on Mina's bed. The lid of her coffin hissed and slid away. The hermit slid one dirty hand onto Mina's head. Malachite surprised himself with the sudden surge of possessiveness that he felt. He didn't like the man's dirty hand pressed into Mina's hair, even if he was trying to help her.
The man's hand stroked Mina's hair almost lovingly while his eyes remained closed. "Goodness. This one has power. I've rarely felt such power, but I can't find anything wrong with her mind. I can sense intense loyalty, compassion, and love." He opened his eyes and stared intently at Malachite for a moment before continuing. "There's grief, too. Too much grief. It's buried deep inside, locked behind a wall of emotions. She won't let it go for anything, and its slowly killing her from the inside out. I can't find its cause, though. It's shrouded too deeply in secrets." He opened his eyes again and removed his hands. "This girl has felt pain. She's felt despair as deep as a bottomless pit, so deep that it's likely to swallow her up. Whatever is keeping her from waking up, it's not an injury. My guess is that someone hurt her recently, hurt her so deeply that she doesn't want to wake up. I'll do what I can, but I won't guarantee anything. She might not ever wake up."
Malachite's breath froze in his lungs. A part of him had simply assumed that people who could travel the stars could heal a few injuries. It had never occurred to him that she might die. Hatred and love warred equally in his heart. He watched, dry mouthed, as the old hermit resumed his place with his hand over Mina's mind.
After what seemed like an eternity, and was at least several hours, the old man finally opened his eyes again. He pulled his hand back once more, and then waited patiently for Mina to open her eyes.
She did so only a second later. She blinked in confusion for a moment, and then saw the old man's face above her own. She smiled sadly at him, and he seemed to shake his head in sympathy. He helped her sit, and she surprised them all by throwing her arms around him. She pulled back only long enough to kiss him on the cheek, then stood to go. She nodded at the three other people in the room, who were stunned at her quick recovery. Amy came forward and hugged her tentatively. "Are you sure you're well enough to walk, Meens? What happened back there?"
Mina glanced back at the old man. After a moment, she spoke in a voice so soft that Malachite could barely hear her answer. "I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was to face my demons, that's all." She glanced back at the old man. "I can face them properly now," she said. "Thank you." Then she turned and left the hut without speaking another word.
Amy quickly ran after her. "Mina, wait! Where are you going?" Mina didn't turn to look at her friend. "I'm going to Venus. I have to have a few words with my mother," she called back.
Amy halted in shock. "Her mother?" Zoicite and Malachite caught up to her. "What's so bad about her talking to her mother?" Zoicite asked curiously.
"Nothing really. Except that her mother's been dead for the last fifteen years."